Rapho Township fire: New photos show tankers warped by raging flames

Investigators are trying to learn more about the butane fire that started Tuesday morning at a Rapho Township rail yard and burned for 23 hours.

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

News 8 is now getting a look at tankers damaged in the raging blaze.

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

These photos show the scene where firefighters doused nearby tankers, also filled with highly flammable gasses, to keep them cool to prevent them from exploding.

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

Worker John Wolgemuth, 59, of Mount Joy, was seriously injured in the blaze. Wolgemuth was trying to transfer 30,000 gallons of butane from a tanker car to a transfer station when something went wrong. Early reports indicate that a compressor failed, sparking the fire.

Wolgemuth was burned over 47 percent of his body. He was taken to the Lehigh Valley burn center where he was expected to remain for more than a month.

Officials said Wolgemuth was able to hit an emergency shut-off switch before seeking help.

The fire started around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, near Maibach Lane and East Main Street in Rapho Township.

Nearby residents and businesses evacuated due to the fire, local roads were shut down and the Amtrak corridor between Lancaster and Harrisburg was also shut down.

Emergency officials at the scene said the thousands of gallons of butane were feeding the flames. They compared it to a lighter that would continue to burn until the fuel depleted.

Experts from outside the area have been brought in to investigate just what happened.

About 150 firefighters from three counties responded.

By Tuesday evening the fire was under control. It was finally extinguished Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. -- 23 hours after it started.

Investigators are trying to learn more about the butane fire that started Tuesday morning at a Rapho Township rail yard and burned for 23 hours.

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

News 8 is now getting a look at tankers damaged in the raging blaze.

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

These photos show the scene where firefighters doused nearby tankers, also filled with highly flammable gasses, to keep them cool to prevent them from exploding.

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

PHOTO: Chris Strayer

Worker John Wolgemuth, 59, of Mount Joy, was seriously injured in the blaze. Wolgemuth was trying to transfer 30,000 gallons of butane from a tanker car to a transfer station when something went wrong. Early reports indicate that a compressor failed, sparking the fire.

Wolgemuth was burned over 47 percent of his body. He was taken to the Lehigh Valley burn center where he was expected to remain for more than a month.

Officials said Wolgemuth was able to hit an emergency shut-off switch before seeking help.

The fire started around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2, near Maibach Lane and East Main Street in Rapho Township.

Nearby residents and businesses evacuated due to the fire, local roads were shut down and the Amtrak corridor between Lancaster and Harrisburg was also shut down.

Emergency officials at the scene said the thousands of gallons of butane were feeding the flames. They compared it to a lighter that would continue to burn until the fuel depleted.

Experts from outside the area have been brought in to investigate just what happened.

About 150 firefighters from three counties responded.

By Tuesday evening the fire was under control. It was finally extinguished Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. -- 23 hours after it started.